Game apparatus



F. W. GANSE.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEFT.20. I919.

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FRANKLIN W. GANSE, OF BBOOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAME APEARATUS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1922.

Application filed September 20, 1919. Serial No. 325,101.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN IV. Gnnsn, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Game Apparatus, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing likeparts.

This invention relates to game apparatus and has for its object toprovide a safe, healthful and interesting game, particularly adapted forout-of-door use upon any available tract or tracts of land and withoutnecessitating expensive preparation or care of such land. Furthermore,the game is an inexpensive one requiring only a simple equipment and maybe played by young or-old and provides immediate and adequate enjoymentand exercise as well for the novice as for one more practiced. or whopossesses a considerable amount of skill in the playing of the game.

Although the game is of particular value as an out-of-loor sport, yet itwill be obvious that it may, upon a somewhat smaller scale, provideconsiderable exercise and enjoyment as an in-door game.

The invention consists in the combina tions set forth whereby the aboveobject and other objects hereinafter appearing may be attained as setforth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a lay-out of a course embodying the featuresof this invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail view upon asomewhat enlarged scale of a ballreceptacle; and

Fig. 3 is a detail of the type of racket and ball used in the game.-

In the drawings, referring particularly to Fig. 2, I have illustrated areceptacle so-called herein consisting of a rod 1 having attached to itsupper end a frame 2 which constitutes a support for a missile holder ora net.3, said net being attached in any suitablemanner to the frame 2.Although the construction of the supporting means for the net 3 may bevaried to a con siderable degree, I preferably construct the same from asingle rod which is bent at its upper end to form a circular loopconstituting the frame 2, and the lower end of said rod is pointed at 1to facilitate the inser- 5, the rod 1 is capable of being said standardthe rod, being preferably round, is adapted to be turned in the groundso as to present the opening of the net 3 in the proper direction, saidopening, as outlined by the circular ring or loop 2, being preferablyvertically disposed. I may also provide, as at 1, suitable markings onsaid rod to insure the proper insertion thereof into the ground.

In the preferred embodiment of the in vention a plurality of nets ormissile receptacles such as hereinbefore described are employed, saidreceptacles being placed in a suitable course, preferably irregular andat varying distances apart. A missile of suitable construction, such asa tennis ball or other resilient ball, as shown at 7, is em ployed andthis ball is adapted to be impelled along the course toward and into thereceptacles 3' by means preferably consisting of a tennis racket 8substantially of the usual form and construction.

In laying out the course described by the nets I preferably arrange saidnets at varying distancesapart, such, for instance, as from one hundredto four hundred yards and in a similar manner to the arrangement of theholes in a golf course. It will, however, be obvious that much less careand consideration will be necessary in laying out a course such as theone herein shown, for the reason that the ground does not have to beprepared or in a smooth or level condition and the missile or ballemployed in the game being soft is less liable to cause damage topassers-by or to destruction of property, such as the breaking ofwindows and the like. Therefore the course may be laid as described bythe arrangement of said nets adjacent to buildings, even to the extentof placing successive nets upon opposite sides of buildings so that theball will have to be impelled over such building. For this reason acourse may be installed in subrelease stantially any location where thebuildings are not too close together.

In Fig. 1 I have illustrated one arrange ment of a series ofreceptacles, where-in 10 indicates a serving station which we shallassume to be the starting point. From this station the ball may beserved toward the net 11 which may be any suitable distance from saidserving station, herein indicated as two hundred and twenty-live yards.When the ball is driven into close proximity to the net 11, said net maybe turned toward the spot where the ball lies in order that the same maymore easily be inserted therein, and for this reason said net is mountedas hereinbefore stated, so that the same may be readily turned to directthe opening toward the ball. Arranged adjacent to the receptacle 11 is asecond serving station, as indicated at 12, from which the ball isserved after being taken from the net 11 toward a second receptacle 13disposed at any suitable distance from said station 12, preferably at adiiferent distance, however, than that separating the station 10 and thereceptacle 11. After the ball has been deposited by the player in thenet of the receptacle 13 in a manner conforming to the rules of thegame, the same may be removed, and from the serving station 1 1 saidball may be directed toward a third receptacle 15 which may likewise beplaced at a different distance from its serving station than either ofthe former receptacles are with respect to their serving stations.

In this manner a large number of ball receptacles may be arranged in anysuitable or irregular course, according to the size of the tract of landon which the game is to be played. The preferred number of suchreceptacles is nine and, as shown, these receptacles follow from thereceptacle 15 from a serving station 16 arranged adjacent thereto to areceptacle 17 therefore, thence from a serving station 18 adjacent tosaid receptacle 17 to a receptacle 19, thence from a serving station 20to a receptacle 21 adjacent to which is a serving station 22 fordirecting a ball to a receptacle 23, and this receptacle is arrangedadjacent to a serving station 2& from which the ball is served toward areceptacle 25. From the locality of the receptacle 25, the ball is nextimpelled from the serving station 26 thereof to a receptacle 27 lyingadjacent to the starting station 10.

Although nine nets or receptacles have been shown in the arrangementherein, it will be obvious that any number of receptacles may beemployed within the scope and purpose of the invention, and thesereceptacles may be placed nearer together or far ther apart than thoseherein shown, depending upon the nature of the country and the size ofthe tract of land on which the game augurated to render the game moredifiicult so as to require more skill in depositing the ball in thevarious nets, and if desired the sizes of the openings of the variousnets may be varied, one being smaller than another, so that theinsertion of the ball in said nets will be in certain cases moredifficult than in others. It will also be obvious that the receptaclesmay, by varying the length of the rod 1, be placed at differentdistances from the ground, and this in order to avoid certainobstructions that may occur in the spot where the receptacle is to beset up.

It will likewise be obvious that although a tennis racket is preferablyemployed to impel the tennis ball which I desire to use as a missile,that other types of impelling instruments and likewise other types ofmis siles may be employed within the scope and purpose of the invention.

The game preferably consists indriving the ball by means of theimpelling instrument from a serving station or tee, as it is sometimescalled, into each of the nets in the fewest possible number of. strokesand continuing until each net in the course has been played. The contestmay be either for nets won or for the lowest total score for allnets onthe course, and various rules may be established for governing themanner in which the ball is held and the manner of stroke employed atcertain stages ofthe game. For

instance, it may be a rule that the ball is to be held in the handbefore each stroke, tossed into the air, as in serving in tennis, anddriven with any sort of a stroke which the plaver chooses to use, andthat the player shall stand on the line or at the serving station whenmaking-the first stroke for each net, with no part of either footoverstepping the tee, so-called. Again, it may be desirable to make arule that before lifting the ball from any position or lie between thetee and net, the player shall take his stance for the next stroke sothat he can lift the ball with his hand, and thereafter he shall notmove either foot until he has made the stroke. The penalty for changingthe stance after touching the ball may be the loss of one stroke. Otherrules may be inaugurated to govern loss of the ball, etc.

If desired, a specified area about each receptacle may be designated asthe green and different rules adopted for impelling the ball from anylie Within this area. For instance it may be decreed that when the ballfalls upon the green it is to be played from the ground with the racketor impelling instrument only; that it must not be touched by the hand orby any part of the players body, but that it may be tossed or touched bythe racket in any Way which the player chooses; and that it must not bepushed or carried upon the racket.

Rules such as these and many others may within the scope and purpose ofthe invention be made to render the game more difficult and interestingand thereby require more skill to negotiate the various receptacles.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention Idesire it to be understood that although specific terms are employedthey are used in a generic and descriptive sense and. not for purposesof limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in thefollowing claims:

1. In a game apparatus, the combination of a ball, a series of elevatedball receptacles adapted to be supported in spaced relation, a servingstation for each of said receptacles arranged adjacent to a precedingreceptacle of the series, and racket like means to impel the ball towardand into said receptacles.

2. In a game apparatus, the combination of a ball, a plurality ofelevated ball receptacles positioned at varying distances apart, aservin station for each of said receptacles arranger adjacent to apreceding receptacle of the plurality thereof, and a racket to impel theball toward and into said receptacles.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination of a ball, a series of ballreceptacles supported in elevated position at substantially differentdistances apart and manually rotatable so that each receptacle may beturned into the direction of approach of the ball, a serving station foreach of said receptacles arranged adjacent to a preceding receptacle ofsaid series, and a racket to impel the ball toward and into saidreceptacles.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANKLIN W. GANSE.

